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Tuberculosis, or TB, is primarily an
airborne disease caused by the bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The
bacteria are spread through the air and usually infect the lungs, but can also
infect other parts of the body as well.

TB can be spread when a person with
active pulmonary TB disease coughs, sneezes, talks, sings or laughs. Only
people with an active pulmonary infection are contagious. Most people who
breathe in TB bacteria are able to fight the bacteria and stop it from growing.
The bacterium becomes inactive in these individuals, and is referred to as a
latent TB infection.

Although the
bacteria are inactive, they still remain alive in the body, and can become
active later. Some people can have a latent TB infection for a lifetime,
without it ever becoming active and developing into TB disease. However, TB can
become active if the immune system becomes weakened and cannot stop them from
growing. This is when the latent TB infection becomes a TB disease.

Those people with inactive TB do not
exhibit symptoms; however, they may have a positive skin reaction test. The
tuberculin skin test has low specificity but three are newer tests that are
more specific for M. tuberculosis. The CDC has recently established guidelines
for these new blood tests.

Those with TB disease, however, can
exhibit any of the following symptoms:

Bad cough (lasting longer than 2 weeks)

Pain in the chest

Coughing up blood or sputum

Fatigue or weakness

Loss of appetite

Weight loss

Chills

Fevers

Night sweats

High risk groups to contact TB
include:

You are a resident or employee in group settings where
the risk is high (i.e. correctional facilities, hospices, skilled nursing
facilities and other health care facilities)

You work in a mycobacteriology laboratory

You have been in contact with a person known or
suspected to have TB disease

Your body,s resistance to illness is low, due to aging,
malnutrition, HIV or other conditions that weaken the immune system

You think you might already have TB disease and are
experiencing symptoms that are characteristic of TB disease

You are from a country or lived in a country where TB
disease is prevalent, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia, the
Caribbean, and most countries in Latin America

You live or have been present in a facility where TB is
common, such as in a crowded shelter, prison, and/or long-term care
facility

You have used injected illicit drugs.

Can TB be cured?

The good news is, yes, TB can be cured even in people
with HIV infection. However, you must take all of the medication as your
doctor instructs you to do, or else not all of the bacteria will be
killed.

Can TB be prevented?

Yes. You usually have to be in contact with someone
with active TB for a long time before becoming infected. The most
important measure to prevent the transmission of TB in the hospital is to
have proper ventilation and/or proper personal protective equipment
(respirator).

Symptoms specific to organs
affected:

Image courtesy: Infectious diseases
Archive

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)

A TB infection of the lungs is known as pulmonary
TB.

Symptoms include:

A persistent cough of more than two weeks that brings
up phlegm, which may be bloody

Breathlessness, which is usually mild to begin with and
gradually gets worse

Lack of appetite and weight loss

A high temperature of 38 C (100.4) or above

Night sweats

Extreme tiredness or fatigue

Unexplained pain for more than three weeks

When to get medical help?

You should see your GP if you have a cough that lasts
for more than two weeks or if you cough up blood.

Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)

In some cases, TB can occur outside the lungs, which is
known as extra pulmonary TB.

Extra pulmonary TB is more common in people with a
weakened immune system, particularly people with an HIV infection. You are
also more likely to develop extra pulmonary TB if you have previously been
infected with TB but haven't had any symptoms (a latent TB infection).

A TB infection can affect the:

Lymph nodes (lymph node TB)

Bones and joints (skeletal TB)

The digestive system (gastrointestinal TB)

The bladder and reproductive system (genitourinary TB)

The nervous system (central nervous system TB)

These types of extra pulmonary TB can
cause additional symptoms, which are described below.

Lymph node TB

Lymph nodes are small glands that are part of the
immune system. They remove unwanted bacteria and particles from the
body.

Symptoms include:

Persistent, painless swelling of the lymph nodes, which
usually affects nodes in the neck, but swelling can occur in nodes
throughout your body

The swollen nodes can release fluid through the skin

Skeletal TB

Symptoms include:

Bone pain

Curving of the affected bone or joint

Loss of movement or feeling in the affected bone or
joint

Weakness of the joint

Gastro intestinal TB

Symptoms include:

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea

Rectal bleeding

Genitourinary TB

Symptoms include:

A burning sensation when you urinate

Blood in your urine

A frequent urge to pass urine during the night

Groin pain

Central nervous system TB

Your central nervous system consists of your brain and
spinal cord.

Symptoms include:

Headaches

Being sick

Stiff neck

Changes in your mental state, such as confusion

Blurred vision

Fits (seizures)

Self-care instructions:

If you are a TB patient, it is
important to take some basic precautions to stop TB spreading to your family
and friends. These precautions are:

Stay away from work, school or college until your TB
treatment team advises you it is safe to return

Always cover your mouth when coughing, sneezing or
laughing

Carefully dispose of any used tissues in a sealed
plastic bag

Open windows when possible to ensure a good supply of
fresh air

Do not sleep in the same room as other people because
you could cough or sneeze in your sleep without realizing it

FOR HIGH RISK GROUPS

Hand sanitization is a must

Use of all defensive equipment while handling
mycobacterium cultures or affected specimen for paramedical staff

Healthy recipe ideas for meals low in fat, saturated
fat, sugar and salt but high in taste indulges one into good nutrition.

The eat well plate

Use the eat well plate to get the balance of your diet
right. It shows you how much to eat from each food group.

One 5 A DAY portion of fruit or
vegetables is about 80g or around one handful.

Nutrition essentials include-

Fruit and veg

Starchy foods

Milk and dairy

Meat

Eggs

Pulses and beans

Fats

Sugars

Salt

Drinks

Vitamins and minerals.

Sample Diet Plan

TB patients need to have food rich
in energy but it has to be devoid of high amounts of fats, sodium, sugar and
junk food. Treatment induced effect on liver demands you to consume easily
digestible food.